


Man of Your Dreams

by Xxstargazer



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Love Triangle, No Smut, Reader-Insert, kpop, lee taeyong - Freeform, nct - Freeform, taeyong/reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-04-25 04:26:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14370876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xxstargazer/pseuds/Xxstargazer
Summary: Reader is an artist who has been painting a man she's seen in her dreams for years. When her and her boyfriend Ten decide on a name for him, she begins to believe that maybe, he's more than just someone she imagined.





	1. 1. Paintings

It soothed you. The feeling of a paintbrush, swiping against the paper of a canvas. Or even just the tracing of a pencil on a cheap sheet of paper, art was your escape. It was always there for you when you were bored, scared, happy, lonely, no matter what you were feeling, art was always there. You always had a pencil and a small sketchbook in your bag that you took with you everywhere you went, an idea never escaped your mind. 

You smiled to yourself as you finished the last few strokes of detail on the fire red hair of the portrait you had been working on for three days now. There wasn't a better feeling of pleasure for you then finishing a piece you had worked on for a long time. You didn't even realize you were smiling at your work, but you were. You began wiping the extra paint off of your brushes, and stood to go wash them out completely, but as you stood, you saw a familiar shadow walk up your driveway.

You always painted in your garage with the door up. The natural light was good for paying attention to detail, it really exposed every part of your art under the flood of sunlight. You put the paint brushes on the edge of your easel and waved to the tall man walking up your driveway. It was your boyfriend, who went by the name Ten. He didn't live far from you, so every once in awhile, he would drop by. “Are you hard at work?” He asked as he stepped into your garage.  
“No, I just finished actually. Wanna see?” You asked, stepping aside and moving your stool back so he could see the small canvas.  
“Sure.” He agreed, walking closer to it. 

He stood back a small distance from the canvas and you looked at the painting for a moment before looking up at him. He didn't look like he liked it, he seemed confused or concerned by it. He looked over at you for a moment before looking back over at it. “What?” You inquired, wanting to know why he looked so concerned.   
“You always paint the same thing.”  
“No I don't.” You argued.   
“Not the exact same thing, but, the same person. All your drawings and paintings have the same guy in them.”

“Oh, yeah.” You agreed with that statement. He was right. Not all of your paintings used the same model, but most of them did. A tall skinny male with pale skin and a sharp jawline. It was an odd relationship you had with the man in your paintings. Or it wasn't really a relationship at all, but it felt like it. You had seen him in your dreams for as long as you could remember. He didn't represent anything, or even have a name, but he was always there. Either in the background somewhere or interacting with something else. It seemed as if every night you met him all over again. 

He changed often too. You figured that’s why you liked painting him so much. A new look to paint was new challenge for you. For the past few days, maybe even weeks, he’s had bright red hair. You liked the red on him. But before he had a toxic green color. Painting that was harder. Greens were hard to balance, especially when they’re that bright.

“Why do you paint him? Who is he?” Ten continued. You shrugged.  
“I’m not sure. Just, someone that I imagined.”  
“Like an imaginary friend?”  
“Yeah, exactly.”  
“...does he have a name?” Ten asked after a small pause. You slowly shook your head.  
“No. I never gave him one. I guess maybe I should.”  
“That’s kind of weird.”  
“Oh shut up, you’re the one that asked.” You joked back. “Guess I never thought about giving him a name because he’s not a real person. Maybe...I don't know, help me out.”

“What about Thomas?”  
“Ew no.”  
“Franco.”  
“Eh,”  
“Benjamin.”  
“That’s even worse.”  
“Well, what do you want it to sound like?”  
“I think...it should start with a ‘T’.”  
“Ten.”  
“Nah, I don't like what name.” Ten laughed a bit at your comment.  
“I understand.”  
“I think I got one I like.”  
“What is it?”  
“...Taeyong.”

Ten just looked at you and nodded. “Congrats. You officially named your imaginary friend, you child.”  
You just smiled, Ten always loved to joke with you. He was just as childish as you. You grabbed the painting from your easel and laid it flat on a small table for it to dry the rest of the way.   
“It’s getting late, the sun will set soon. Are you gonna walk back home?” You asked, carefully taking off your painting apron and hanging it up.  
“I probably should. I just wanted to see you for a bit.”  
“Well I’m glad you stopped by.” You informed as you walked closer to him. He was leaning back on a small table, hands gripping the edge. “You know I’m always happy to see you.” You concluded before planting your hands on his shoulders and leaning in to kiss him. A kiss which he gladly returned.

It wasn't anything too passionate, just a small goodbye lasting for a few seconds. You pulled away and you both smiled at each other before you stepped back and he stood up. Saying goodbye before walking out the way he came. You watched his tall figure as he walked down your driveway before turning away once he was out of sight. You grabbed the painting and added it to the growing pile of canvases in your corner. Knowing it was already dried because the paint was acrylic which dried quickly. You knew you should probably organize your paintings, but they remained stacked without a particular order or category, only to eventually (some time soon) topple over. 

You continued to clean up the rest of your art supplies before shutting your garage door and heading inside, not knowing what to do with the rest of your day. It was about 5 p.m, so you figured it was a good time to eat dinner and maybe just watch TV until you decided to go to bed. To fall asleep and be greeted by your newly named ‘Taeyong’ again. So you decided that was what it would be. Nothing much different than the last few nights. You just opened the fridge, and mindlessly prepared something for yourself. Nothing was different as of now, everything was the same.


	2. 2. A splash of Red

_ You were walking down the street. Unbothered by anyone or anything, walking to who knows where. You didn't. All you knew was that everything around you was black and white, without detail. That was, until a speck of red crossed your vision. You stopped in your tracks when you saw the slash of color pass you by on the other side of the street. “Taeyong!” You yelled, knowing that splash of red anywhere. He stopped after you yelled, looking at you but not waving or acknowledging you. You stepped out onto the street, taking a step towards him before a car came from nowhere, crossing your path. _

_ “(Y/n)! Be careful!” Your boyfriend scolded from behind you, grabbing you and pulling you back onto the sidewalk. When did Ten get here? You didn't remember. But you looked to see where Taeyong had been, but he was gone. Like he vanished along with that car. And everything was dull again, colorless. _

 

And you shot awake. You didn't know why, or what caused you to. But you shot up from your bed and gasped, slowing your breathing down. You looked over at a clock you had on your table. It was 8 O’clock, which is a normal time for you to wake up. 

 

You threw the covers off of you and went to your kitchen, leaning your elbows on the table. Your mind had always amazed you, why was it that you could never meet Taeyong in your dreams? He was always just in the background. Things were changing, however. Tonight was different, you had never  _ tried  _ to meet him before. And he knew his name. It was weird, as if your dream was Lucid, and you consciously tried to meet him. You stood up straight, putting your hands down on your table. It was just a dream, you told yourself. You had had dreams like this one before, only difference was you tried to approach Taeyong rather than just admire the splash of color he added as you had the previous times you had had that dream. 

 

Eventually once you got over it, you carried on with your day. Getting something to eat before going out into your garage with a sudden spark of inspiration and grabbing your paints. Opening the door to the morning light before setting up you canvas and painting what you wanted. It was a simple painting. A cityscape with a few cars, but on the other side of the street, was a man with bright red hair. 

 

***

 

You more or less lived the painfully typical, student artist life. You were in the process of getting a degree in art, but in the meantime, you worked at a small coffee shop. It wasn't ideal (you had to rely on Ten sometimes for money because of his stable dancing career) but it helped pay the bills. 

 

In the mornings when everyone was on their rush to work, the job could be fun. Mixing drinks to you was like another form of art. You had a habit of playing with the cream on top of lattes in order to make designs in it. Of course, no one cared too much about it. They just appreciated the workmanship. The regular afternoon customers that stopped by with their friends or for alone time always knew when you were working when they would get flowers or hearts painted into the surface of their beverages. You didn't bother with it in the mornings though, it was too hectic. So, in a way, even though it could often be boring at times, you enjoyed the evening shift more. And today was no exception. 

 

You diligently poured the creamer into a shallow cup of coffee, focusing to make sure you drug out and swirled out the white decoration into a cute swirly pattern, always doing what you felt seemed right. Once the cup was full, you pulled away and set it down on the saucer so it could be delivered to whomever had ordered it. “We get it,” you heard a voice behind you say. “You're an artist, no need to rub it in.” Your coworker sarcastically complained before grabbing the white plate. 

“Just trying to make things more enjoyable for me.”

“I don’t blame you, if I had talent like this, I would be a show off too.” She agreed before walking out with the plate, bringing it to the lone girl sitting at a booth. She was the only person in the shop as of now. 

 

You leaned back on a counter in the kitchen, waiting to hear the chime ring as the door was opened so you could prepare your next work. And it took a few minutes, but it did. You stood up straight and waited for the order from up front to appear on the screen in the kitchen, even though you could hear the raspy male voice order it from where you were, there was only a wall with an archway separating you, so you could hear everything up front. So, once another latte was ordered, you went right to work. Pouring the coffee, and getting the creamer, you didn't know what to do for this one. You wanted to do more than a basic heart, which was always your default when nothing else came to mind. But you wanted to do something more intricate. After a few more seconds, a swan came to mind, so you went with that. Forming the wings first then the long neck. It came out well, you were proud of it. 

 

You put the cup on the saucer and looked for your coworker to bring it out to the new customer, but you didn't see her. It was a bit odd that she just wasn't there, but you didn't think much of it. You figured since it was coffee and it shouldn't cool off, you would just bring it out yourself. Knowing that there was only one other person without coffee in the shop, finding the recipient for the drink wouldn't be hard. So you picked it up and walked through the archway into the dining room. You saw your coworker that was supposed to take the coffee behind the register with your cashier they were talking about something. The two of the gossiped often, but it wasn't like her to talk when she knew she had a job to do. 

 

You saw a male with familiar red hair, facing backwards to you. Knowing that he was who you were looking for, you walked to his lonesome booth, walking up beside it and stopping. Before you put the drink down, you looked at the man sitting there, and when you saw him, you tried not to drop the ceramic dishes you were holding. You slowly put the plate down on his table, and looked at it before looking at it again. You knew this man. You knew him by the sharp jawline and slender figure. But, then again, you didn't  _ know  _ him, you had never met. 

 

You tried not to stare, but you wanted to say something. Your mind  _ had  _ to be playing tricks on you, he wasn't real. Taeyong wasn't a real person. Why was he here? You didn't know what to do, but you reacted on the first thing that came to mind. “Enjoy.” You said quickly and tried to walk off awkwardly.

“Wait.” He stopped you as you tried to walk away, reaching out, not so that he grabbed you but just to put something in your way. 

 

“Have we...met before?” You took a step back, shaking your head. 

“No, I don’t think we have.” You wanted so badly to say yes, but what came after that? ‘Yes you're in my dreams every night.’ You couldn't just say that. He squinted at you and tilted his head.

“Why do you seem so familiar?”

“...I recognize you, too.” You said, just to get some of your thoughts out. “Maybe we’ve never met before, but, we’re meeting now.” You mused, holding out a hand for him to shake while telling him your name. “And you?” You asked, hoping you knew the answer already.

 

“Taeyong.” He said while shaking your hand with a small smile. “Nice to meet you.” 

You smiled back, letting go of his hand. He looked down into his coffee again, you took that as a cue to leave, but before you could he stopped you again. “Did you do this? The swan?” 

“Oh, yes I did.” He looked back at it and up at you again. 

“It’s nice, just wanted to tell the artist that.”

“Well, thank you.” He smiled at you again, and you actually walked away from him this time. Not knowing what to do after. You had just met the man in your paintings, the man you  _ imagined.  _ Why was he real? Why was he here, walking and talking? Your mind was going a million miles a second thinking about all this. Your eyes were wide and you were looking at your feet as you walked back into the kitchen, where your two coworkers were waiting for you. 

 

You looked up to face them both, confused as to why you were waiting for you the way they were. “What?” You asked blankly. Eyes darting between the two. 

“Who is he?” Your cashier asked. 

“I don't know. He said his name was Taeyong but I had never met him before.” Lie. 

“He’s so hot.” Your other coworker admired. “I saw you talking to him, you think so too.” 

“Of course I did but-” 

“Oh you should have seen your face when you put that coffee down and saw him!”

“Yeah, you looked totally awestruck.”

“Okay, but, I  _ wasn’t,”  _ you tried.

“Girl he was totally hitting on you!”

“No, he was just being nice to me.”

“You were too, don't even try to lie.”

“Casey!” You raised your voice at your coworker.

 

“I have a boyfriend.” You put in your defence.

“That’s not what your body language said.”

“What?” 

“You were all over him!”

“How?!” You refused to believe that you had been hitting on him. You just introduced yourself, they were both being dramatic. Which was confirmed when she didn't respond to your question. She just looked over at your cashier, as if she had the answer to that question. 

 

“You gotta admit that he’s hot though.” She said as her way to get let last word. You just sighed, hearing the bell to the front door open before you could say anything. Your cashier jumped up and ran to the register, only to see it was the female customer exiting, leaving Taeyong behind by himself. 

 

Your shift was almost over, and you were on the closing shift so you figured that no one else would be showing up for the rest of the night. So, as a way to busy yourself, you began putting away extra creamer and coffee ingredients. Cleaning up the kitchen for tomorrow's morning crew. Your coworker Casey began doing this as well. She headed out the archway to the dining room, mindlessly flipping the store sign to closed, but you knew she was really doing it to get a better look at Taeyong. She was a single girl, so she did this often when someone young and attractive dropped in. You hadn’t been watching her, but you knew that she was probably casually walking past his table as much as she possibly could just so she could get a good look at him.

 

Once you were done cleaning up your kitchen, you heard the bell to the front door ring, and Casey came practically running into where you were while yelling your name. “You're never gonna believe this!” She declared, your cashier running in with her as well. 

“What did you do?”

“I didn't do anything! But that guy wanted me to give this to you.” She explained, handing you a small amount of money. “He said this is because your craftsmanship deserves a pay. And there's a note inside.” You squinted at the amount of money before unrolling it, sure enough, he had written his number on the back of his receipt from the coffee and rolled it under the dollar bills. This was so bizarre. You're mind couldn't piece together the fact that a man you met in your dreams was alive and giving you money and his number. That's something you never thought you would have to explain.

 

“Well, guess I'll keep it, but...”

“Is Ten really  _ that  _ good looking.”

“There’s more to a man than his looks Casey, this is why you're still single.” You retorted before putting the money and paper into your pocket. Both her and your cashier seemed surprised by that comment. “Well, I’m on my way. See you later.” You concluded before walking out of the kitchen and outside, into your small car. You took a breath once you sat down, you had a feeling falling asleep tonight would be hard. Your mind would be running like crazy.

 

***

Once you got home, you immediately locked yourself inside and sat on your couch, pulling the note out of your pocket as well as your phone. You looked at both items for a moment, not knowing what to do with either. You didn't want to give him the wrong idea, that you liked him. How would Ten feel? Then again, this was no typical guy hitting on you. You were sure Ten would understand. Besides, what he doesn't know can't hurt him. You clicked open your phone and typed in the number. You would be sure to tell him first thing that you already had a boyfriend, but there was no way you weren't going to talk to him at all. 

  
After you put in the number you went into your room, changed into your pajamas, and got into bed. The first thing that came into your mind, were the first words Taeyong said to you.  _ “Have we met before?”  _ That didn't mean much to you till now. Had you been looking at him that weirdly that he felt entitled to ask? Or had he recognized you from somewhere as well? You wished you hadn’t realized he said that, at least now anyway, because that would keep you up. How did he know who you were?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find this story on my tumblr: exidtotheleft
> 
> I'll be more active on there than here


	3. 3. Meeting

_ Everything was black and white again. The same cityscape and the same scenario. Only difference was, you were walking on the opposite side of the street. The side of the street Taeyong always walks on everytime this scenario occurs in your dreams. You looked over your shoulder and around you. You had an odd amount of control over yourself, like you weren't just dreaming. It was like you were controlling yourself. As you turned around to face forward, you saw him. The familiar speck of red hair, walking towards you. Once he got close enough to you, you waved at him, he looked at you confused for a second, then his face lit up when he recognised you. “Hey,” he started “you’re the swan lady!” He greeted, remembering you as the lady who drew the swan in his coffee cup. _

_ “Yeah, that's me.” You confirmed, before hearing someone yell your name from the other side of the street. It was Ten. You looked over at him and once you saw each other, he stepped out onto the street. Only to meet the same fate as you had the previous night, be cut off by a sudden car. As soon as the car crossed in front of him, _

You woke up. Just as abruptly as you had last night. Only this time, you knew why. You had finally met Taeyong. You hadn't just passed each other, you talked to each other and he knew who you were. The Taeyong in your mind and the one you talked to yesterday had to be the same, as weird as that was to describe. That was the only way that you would be able to suddenly meet him in your dreams after years of seeing him, it was to cross him in reality.

You, in your fit of shock, reached over to your nightstand and grabbed your phone. Immediately opening Taeyong’s contact and pulling up the keyboard, your fingers hovering over the keys. You didn't know what to type. What could you say to the man of your dreams? A simple introduction didn't seem fit, or enough. But what else could you do? You had to just hope that the conversation you had after the simple greeting was to make up for the boring start. So you typed a generic message for anyone who just received someone else's number.

_ “Hey, this is (y/n), the swan lady from the coffee shop. This is Taeyong, right?” _

The moment your pressed send, you regretted the swan lady comment a bit, deeming it as a bit too cheesy. But it was too late to unsend it now. So you went with it, putting the phone down and getting out of bed and dressed. As soon as you were dressed, you heard your phone vibrate. You swallowed and took a breath before grabbing it off your night stand and tapping it on. One new message. You tapped the notification and saw it was from the new number.

_ ‘That it is. I was hoping your coworker didn't keep this to herself.’ _

You opened the keyboard and hovered over the keys for a moment, thinking about what to say back. But you went with an obvious option:

_ ‘Why did you want to keep in contact with me?’ _

Taeyong:

_ ‘I need to know where I know you from.’ _

You pressed your lips together once you got that response. You yourself thought you knew that answer, but you still weren't sure. Had he seen you in his own dreams? The only reason you recognised him as soon as you did was because you were so fascinated by him. Maybe you were in his dreams as well but he just didn't pay as much attention to you as you did.

_ ‘Do you have any idea as to where that is?’ _

You sent before putting your phone in your pocket. It was a school day for you. As soon as you ate you would be on your way to your nearby college. You had gotten lucky with the location of your school. You had rented a small house where it was because it was by a community college that you started at and the arts school that you attended. It wasn't too far from your hometown either, which was how you had kept in contact with Ten. You had known him from school for a majority of your life, and when you moved into the same neighborhood as him, you started dating.

As you ran into your kitchen and put together a simple breakfast, you received another few message. But you didn't check it until you had sat down to eat.

Taeyong:

_ ‘I don't and that’s what bothers me.’ _

_ ‘You said you recognized me too. Do you know where?’ _

You looked at your phone for a moment, not knowing what to say. You out down the device and clicked it off before taking the first bite of your food.

***

You thought about what you would say to him your whole drive to school. Telling him the truth didn't cross your mind once. You figured you would put that off until you trusted him to not freak out and call you crazy at the mention of him almost being a type of imaginary friend. So you went with something generic that would calm the topic for a bit.

_ ‘Maybe we never met but we’ve seen each other before? Maybe just as kids.’ _

_ Taeyong: _

_ ‘Maybe’ _

You felt the vibration in your pocket for his response when you got to class. This really would drive you mad. How long could you push this off for? How long until he got suspicious or inpatient? For your entire class, everything just went over your head. You didn't want to focus on class, or even try to.

***

Taeyong:

_ ‘Do you work today?’ _

You saw the message he left after you were out of class. You hadn't even realized that you got it.

_ ‘Yes, why?’ _

Taeyong:

_ ‘Just wondering.’ _

He responded, not long after. You had a feeling that you may be seeing him at work today. Which you quite honestly wouldn't mind. You slid into your car and drove to your small home not taking long to get there. Your shift for work started about an hour after your class, so you hustled to change into your uniform just so you could turn right back around and drive to your coffee shop.

You got there right on time, just as the shift change was going on. Your coworker Casey and your cashier rolled in at right about the same time after you. The store was oddly busy for an afternoon time, but you didn't complain. Knowing that time would go by faster if you were working more. So you just resorted to making simple hearts into people’s lattes whenever they ordered one. Going on with your simple routine, until Casey came in to stop you. “Someone’s here to see you.” She said with a wink, grabbing the cup of coffee you just made and carrying it out.

You quickly swirled a heart into the top of the latte you were making and walked through the archway into the dining room. Spotting the red hair and walking towards it. There was no one in line ordering anything, so instead of just simply putting cup down and leaving, you put it between the two of you and sat across from him in the booth. “Hey stranger.” You greeted jokingly.

“Hello.” He said back with a small smile. “Just a heart today?” He asked when he pulled the drink closer to himself. 

“I wanted to get out here to you as soon as I could. Whats up?” You asked nonchalantly, even though you knew he was probably just still wondering about how he knew you. 

“Well, do you think we could, meet up soon? Maybe tomorrow?” 

“Sure, I could. Where?”

“Anywhere, maybe just your house? If you’re comfortable with that.”

“Well…” you veered off a bit. You knew you probably should say no to that. If Ten knew you were alone in your home with another man, he could get the wrong idea. But  _ you  _ didn't want to.

“Here’s the deal, I have a boyfriend—”

“I just want to talk.” he interrupted

“I know. But I don't want him getting the wrong idea.”

“If you want, I could meet him beforehand. I don't want to cause any trouble either.”

“No.” You canceled immediately. You looked away after, how wishy-washy did you sound. You knew that Ten would recognise him too, and how could you play it off? “Sorry, just...you can come it will be fine. What he doesn't know can't hurt him.” You had a feeling you would be saying that too many times in the future.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it will be fine.” Once you finished your sentence, the front door to the shop opened. “How about twelve o’clock tomorrow? I’ll text you my address.”

“Sounds good.” You smiled at him and stood up, going to the kitchen and preparing for the order that was to come from the new customer.

“What does he want now?” Casey asked when you started preparing the drink order. 

“Nothing, just wanted to see me.” You lied. 

“At least you got that going for you. I would take his company any day. Are you still not interested?” 

“Yep.” You replied dryly, trying to bore her so that she would leave you alone.

“Take this out there would you?” You asked while holding the hot drink out to her. Which she did without another word. You watched her walk out and looked at the red hair across the room through the archway. He couldn't see you from where you. You looked blankly, almost sadly at him. How were you going to keep this going?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find this story on my tumblr: exidtotheleft
> 
> I'll be more active on there


	4. 4. Invention

It was five minutes from 12 O’clock. You were sitting on your couch waiting for your guest to arrive. You tapped your foot in anticipation, not knowing what to expect. Once you heard four knocks on your door, you quickly stood and sped to the door, opening it and coming face to face with the tall man. “Come in.” You said after a moment, wanting him to come in as soon as possible. Before anyone (particularly Ten) saw and got the wrong idea.

You stepped aside and practically pulled him in, shutting the door behind him. “Sorry.” You apologized. “I’m a bit jumpy.” Taeyong just nodded at you before looking around your living room. 

“This is so small.” He commented, he was smiling though, you could tell it wasn't a negative comment. 

“I don't need more than this. It’s all I could afford anyway.”

“I like it. It’s cozy.” You smiled at him a bit before he walked off to your couch.

“Do you want anything? Something to drink maybe?” 

“No I’m fine. I just want to talk.”

“Okay.” You agreed before walking to where he was and sitting down next to him. “What about?”

“Neither of us know where we know how we know each other?” You shook your head slowly. 

“No.”

“Well, I don't think we’re gonna  _ remember  _ either. Maybe we were lovers in a past life “ you laughed a bit at that. Relieved to hear that he had dropped the subject.

“Yeah maybe.”

“Really, you just intrigue me and I don’t know why.”

“So you just wanted to get to know me?”

“Yeah, exactly.” You looked down and nodded. 

“Me too. What do you want to know?”

“Whatever you think i would like to hear.”

“Well, maybe you caught onto this but I'm an artist.”

“No! Really?!” He joked in sarcasm. “I would have never guessed.”

“Well I am! And not just on coffee. I’m majoring in art right now actually. In painting.” 

“Do you have anything I can see? I want to see something.” 

“Oh…” you hesitated for a second. Did you have anything you could show him? “Yeah, let me go get some.” You said before standing and walking into your garage.

“Uh,” you turned on the dim light and looked to your stack of paintings. The first one on the stack, the black and white painting with a speck of red hair would be good. Sure, it was a painting of your guest, but he wouldn't know. You looked through it a little bit more and pulled out a still life painting you had for a school project and went back inside, not wanting to keep him waiting too long.

“Here.” You said as you walked into the living room again. “These are two things I did.” You handed him the canvases and he took them from you. The look of amusement on his face dropping into one if concentration as he focused on the painting on top. The one of him. You pushed your lips together as he looked at it, watching him. He squinted at it, glancing up at you before looking at it again. 

“I feel like I’ve seen this before.”

“Really?”

“No, more like I've been here…” He looked at you again. You should have expected that one.

“That's weird.”

“Déjà vu, I guess.” He assumed before looking up at you.

“Look at the other one.” You cancelled, trying to get his mind off the last one. The other painting you brought out shouldn't have any effect like that on him. It didn't relate to him in anyway.

He handed the other painting back to you and looked at your school project. “Oh this is cool. Why’d you do this one? Isn't there an intention behind every piece of art?” 

“Yes I would say so. That one is just a painting on something out in front of me. It’s called a still life.” You explained briefly.

The both of you continued to talk more about yourselves, more you than him however. He seemed to just be asking you questions and you answered them. Which had you a bit curious. Did he even know about himself? Did he have a personality? He didn't seem too. He never did in your dreams. You wanted to ask him a question, to see if he could even answer. 

“So where exactly do you live?”

“Where do I...live?” He asked back, his eyes darting away from you. 

“Just, not far from here.” Was that all? 

“Where is not far from here?” You started listing off street names that were close to yours. You could see the puzzled look on Taeyong’s face even if he was looking away from you. He really didn't know because you had never given him a house. So, you figured you would right now.

You closed your eyes for a moment, picturing Taeyong and making him walk up the neighborhood next to yours, Woodbury Drive was the name of it, and stepping into a well sized house at the top of the street.

“It’s Woodbury Drive. That’s my street.” Taeyong informed immediately after. “I couldn't think of the name, sorry.”

“It’s alright.” So you could almost control him? You could shape him now, to be what you wanted him to be. What great power was that! Hopefully one that doesn't go to your head.

“Woodbury isn't far from here at all. What were the chances!” You small talked before hearing a knock on your door. You gasped quietly, knowing it was Ten. No one else ever paid you visits. “Perfect timing…” you whispered.

“Who is it?”

“Ten, my boyfriend.” 

“Can’t you just ignore him?”

“No, he knows I'm home my car is here.” You stood up and took a breath. “You’ll be fine.” You assured while walking to the door and opening it slowly.

“Hey!” He greeted with a smile.

“Hey, Ten,” you looked over your shoulder at Taeyong then back at your boyfriend. “I need you not to freak out.” You whispered. 

“Why would I?”

“Just, you’ll know why. No wrong ideas, and  _ don’t say anything stupid.”  _ That last part was code for  _ ‘don’t let him know the truth’  _ but he didn’t know that. You hoped he caught on.

You stepped aside and Ten looked, seeing the other man sitting on your couch awkwardly. Ten’s eyes went wide, looking at you, him, then you again. “Is that—” 

“Taeyong!” You said turning and looking at him. “Could we continue this later? Maybe over text? Sorry to kick you out like this but I have to.” Taeyong nodded and stood, putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans and walking past you. You wondered how Taeyong and Ten would get along, if they did at all. Would Taeyong possibly challenge Ten? You watched Taeyong as he stepped out of the door frame. He stopped in front of Ten and scanned him with eyes before sticking his chin up and continuing his way out. Suddenly, you regretted having that thought, because you knew that was the cause of him to do that.

“What the  _ hell!”  _ Ten yelled once Taeyong was gone. Practically jumping into your house and slamming the door behind him. 

“I wish I knew myself.”

“Is that really Taeyong?!”

“Yes! They're the same person!” 

“How?!” 

“I don't know!”

You stormed away from him, walking into your kitchen and putting your hands on the side of your forehead. Ten followed you. “How did you meet him? Tell me everything.” He demanded, standing in front of you. You pulled your hands away from your face and looked at Ten before sighing and taking a seat at your table, he sat across from you.

“He showed up at the coffee shop the other day,” you began. Explaining how he seemed to know who you were and that now you could meet him in your dreams and almost control yourself in them as well. Explaining every detail, down to last one you discovered moments before he knocked on the door.

“I think I can control him, with my thoughts. Like, I’m inventing him piece by piece.”

“How so?” 

“He doesn’t have any personality. Like, everytime he talks to me it’s always a really generic, almost scripted conversation. Before you showed up, I asked where he lived because I didn’t think he lived anywhere, like he only exists when I’m around, and I was right! He didn’t have an answer to the question so I imagined him walking into a house on Woodbury Drive then all of a sudden, he tells me that’s where he lives.”

“So, he’s the same Taeyong in your dreams?”

“I don’t think he ever even left my mind. He only exists when I’m around. But, maybe not anymore. Now that he has a home in my mind.”

“Are you gonna go looking for him and find out?”

“Maybe, not now though. This is all too crazy to do it now. Besides, i think if we’re gonna prove that point, someone else has to do it, not me. Because he’s around if I’m around, I’ll always be able to find him.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Ten agreed.

It went quiet for a moment, but Ten broke the silence. “What kind of personality are you gonna give him?”

“I think I made him competitive on accident.”

“How’d you do that?”

“When he was walking past you and he looked at you like that, what I was thinking of at the time was ‘I wonder if he’ll try to compete with Ten.’ Seems I was right.” The thing you didn’t realize about that thought until now, though, was that if you created his personality as you wanted, you must want him to compete with Ten. It’s weird how you want things and don’t even realize it, or know why. Maybe things were getting boring between you and Ten and that was your subliminal way of spicing things up a bit. Now that you’re thinking about it, you wouldn’t be surprised if that was why you had done it.

“What other traits are you gonna give him?” you shrugged.

“I don’t know, just, I’m thinking that however I want him to react in the moment is what I’ll go with.”

“I would be very careful. We don’t know if you can undo anything. It doesn’t sound like you can. Make sure you don’t accidentally make him into a murderer or something.” You smiled at that. Though it was a joke, it was a good point.

“I’ll remember that.”

Eventually, Ten went on his way back home. You promised him before he left that you would keep him updated on the situation. He wanted to know what kind of person Taeyong turned out to be and how the two of you got along, and you promised to tell him. You hoped that you wouldn't have to hide anything from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find this story on my tumblr: exidtotheleft
> 
> I'll be more active on there


	5. 5. Polite and Forgetful

You hadn't seen Taeyong in 2 days, but you did send texts back and forth to him. You wondered what he could be doing and when he would stop by again. You were currently at work, doing your normal thing and mixing drinks before Casey walked in to take a drink out to a customer. “He’s here.” She announced as she grabbed the saucer. “This is his, do you want to take it yourself?”  

“No, you can do it.” You allowed, you actually had a plan in mind. You were still suspicious as to if he only existed if you were around. So you wanted to know what would happen if you didn't engage him this whole time.

“If you say so.” She agreed, taking the drink out to him. You watched her through the doorway. Watched her take the drink to his table and set it down. You saw her try to say something, but he didn't respond.  _ “Make him polite!”  _ Your mind yelled at yourself, and as soon as it did, you put it into action closing your eyes for a moment and picturing him politely responding to Casey. When you opened your eyes, he did just that. You saw him smile and nod at her, saying something. You couldn't hear him, but you could read his lips. “Thanks you.” He said. You smiled to yourself, you felt like you had done something correct. Once Casey started walking back, you went fully into the kitchen and leaned on the stainless steel counter to make it seem like you hadn't been watching them.

“I'm sure you’re happy that you finally got to talk to him.”

“Were you watching?” Goddammit, why did you say that? So much for not letting her know you were watching them. Casey’s lips formed into a grin. “You were watching weren't you?” You sighed.

“Yes.”

“God, you totally like him.”

“No I don't.”

“Whatever.” She detested, dragging out the ‘A’ in what. “He always looks so effortlessly good. I'd never seen him smile before today. And when I asked him if he wanted anything else, he shook his head politely and said no thank you. Oh, why am I telling you this though, you saw the whole thing. He’s just polite. That’s something you don't find in a guy anymore.”

“Ten is polite.”

“Oh quiet you, let me dream.” You laughed a bit. Casey was the biggest hopeless romantic you had ever met.

Once a few more customers came in and you were back to your normal work, you wanted to try something with Taeyong. You wanted to test the theory of him only existing when you’re around. The best way of testing this you thought would be to have him forget something, and have Casey run it out to him. But if Casey couldn't find him then you knew you were right. The only problem was, by doing this you would make him forgetful, and you weren't sure if you could undo your decision. But it was a decision you had to make in short time. He would be leaving soon.

You decided to do it. You shut your eyes pictured a situation where he pulled out his wallet to leave a tip but put the wallet down on the table and took a the last sip of his coffee before checking his phone. What for, you didn't know. But after doing those two things, he forgot his wallet as he walked out.

You opened your eyes and looked through the doorway, he was walking out now, his wallet on the table. “Casey, I think Taeyong just left you should go clean off the table.” You arranged. She nodded at you and you watched her go off with a cloth. When she got to the table, she noticed the wallet and picked it up. You saw her look out the glass front of the store for him then look back inside the dining room before running outside quickly. You knew she had to be looking for him.

You peeked your head out in fake concern to your cashier. “What’s up? Why did Casey just run out?”

“Not sure, but I think her crush forgot his wallet, she’s probably looking for him.”

“Oh.” You walked outside of them kitchen, waiting for her to come back, eager to see if she had found him or not. And after about two minutes, she came back.

“Hey, do you have Taeyong’s number?” She asked you as she walked in.

“Why? Did he forget his wallet?”

“Yeah.” 

“Yeah I do, give me the wallet though, let me look for him.” Casey handed you the leather casing and you headed towards the door. Casey followed behind you.

As soon as you opened the door, you came face to face with him. You gasped quietly and both of you stopped. You were millimetres away, and how he got there, you didn't know. The doors to the building were see through glass, you would have been able to see him. It was like as you opened the door, he appeared again. That was exactly what happened. “Taeyong.” You said quietly. You didn't pull away from the awkward (but somewhat comfortable) distance. You just held the wallet out towards him. He looked down at it before grabbing it gently from you. 

“Yeah, I was coming back for this. Sorry, I'm a bit forgetful at times.”

“That's fine.” You swallowed after you said those words. The way you had said that struck an odd chord in you. The subconscious choice you made to use the word “that’s” other than “it’s” hit you. It was as if you were saying that aspect of him didn't bother you, that you could accept it. Rather then it being fine with you that he forgot his wallet, and that it was fine you went on a chase trying to find him.

You felt your heart thud once in that moment, and when it did, you saw Taeyong look down at you lips and back up at you, which you did to him after without thinking about it. But he stepped back, sticking the wallet in his pocket then smiling at you with a breath through his nose. “See you later.” He said before walking off. And you watched him walk away.

You were sure that you must has been blushing. That whole encounter was flustering in a few different ways. “Girl.” Casey said from behind you, she had moved with her cashier behind the desk. Both of them were looking at you with a tinge of jealousy. “You are just the luckiest one here.” You smiled and looked down, fidgeting your fingers. 

“You’re blushing so bad.” You cashier chimed in. “I would be too though, boyfriend or not.”

You walked past them into the kitchen. They just continue talking amongst themselves. You couldn't believe that you had been right about this. He only existed when you were around, when you were thinking about him. What were his few traits now? Competitive, polite, and forgetful. That was an interesting combination.

You sighed and looked up at the clock. There was 30 minutes left of your shift. You were on closing again. So you began cleaning up, assuming no one else would show up for coffee at 7 P.M. Quite honestly, you were just trying to get out of here as soon as possible so you could start writing these things down. This would be a whole new breed of dream journal you would be starting.

***

_ Entry one: Traits _

_ Competitive, Polite, forgetful _

 

_ Entry two: Living details _

_ L _ _ ives on Woodbury Dr. _

_ Occupation: Unsure _

You read over what you had just written. You were writing your progress with Taeyong down in a black hardcover journal you had. It would double as a dream journal as well. You had noticed that since you met Taeyong, you could control him in your dreams too. He use to just take residence in the background, but now he was in the foreground of every dream you had. Either talking to you or just being the main character of your dream, he was a big part of them.

You shut the journal and put the pencil on top of it before putting it down on your nightstand. You clicked off the lamp that was lighting up your room and crawled into your bed, falling asleep and awaiting the dream that was coming for you tonight. 


	6. 6

_ It was pouring rain. You didn't know when it started or why you were outside, but you didn't have an umbrella or clothes suited for such weather. But this dream was weird. You felt cold, like the rain was directly hitting your skin in reality. You had never felt so alive in a dream before. It was like you were controlling yourself.  _

_ Regardless, you were running, trying to get inside. You looked up at the street sign you were approaching. Woodbury Dr. it read. You found yourself wondering up the vaguely familiar street. Eventually walking up to the house at the end of the street. You knew it was Taeyong’s. You didn't even have to consider it, it was like the knowledge of whose house it was was embedded into your mind. You walked up the driveway and knocked on the door. Hugging your arms for any warmth you could get.  _

_ After a moment, the door slowly opened. The man opening it said your name in a confused tone once he saw who had knocked on his door. “What are you doing outside? Why did you come here?”  
_ _ “Nevermind that, just, can I come in.” Taeyong nodded and stepped aside. You entered the moderately sized house and took a deep breath. Inhaling the warm, welcoming air.  _

_ “Do you want me to get you something? A towel maybe? I don't really have anything for you to chance into. Nothing very girly anyway.” _

_ “It’s fine. A towel will do.” You assured. Taeyong nodded at you before walking down the hall to get a towel from the hallway cabinet.  _

_ You were still feeling conscious and in control at the moment. You were wanting more from him then just a towel, a way to warm up would be nice. Like… _

_ “Do you want me to light up the fireplace? That could definitely warm you up.” Exactly.  _

_ “Sure.” you agreed, walking to him down the hall and following him to where his fireplace was. He handed you the towel and you put it around your shoulders before sitting down on the floor, waiting for the warmth of the fire to take residence in the room. You watched him as he reached to the mantel above the fireplace and pulled a box of matched from the surface of it. Taeyong opened the glass front of the fireplace and sat next to you without a word. He took a match from the box and striked it. Once the flame erupted, _

You woke up. You were shivering as if you were cold. You hugged yourself and felt your skin, you were still warm. You only felt cold. With a huff, you threw your bed sheets off your body and grabbed your journal and the pencil you had set beside it, opening it to the third page.

_ Dream #1 _

__ _ I could control myself completely, every action I made was something I decided to do. I could control Taeyong’s actions as normal.  _

__ _ It was raining outside and I ran into taeyongs house for shelter. He let me in and offered to light a fire. When the struck the match, the dream ended. _

 

You wrote quickly. You read it over before nodding to yourself and closing the book, putting it back on your night stand.

 

***

 

The one thing you couldn’t get off your mind from your dream was how good Taeyong looked. Maybe that was weird, just a bit. But what he was wearing really stuck with you for some reason. He was wearing black fitting pants and a white tank top. Maybe it was his shoulders and exposed skin, but he looked really good. It got you wondering if you could decide what he wore as well. You were sure you could. Maybe you would persuade him to come see you later. For now, you were worrying about putting the image that bore into your mind onto a canvas with your paint.

You took your sketchbook into your garage, opening the door for light and pulled your water color from your paint drawer. You didn't want to make a big deal of this one so you would just leave it in your sketchbook for ideas you got on the fly. You began to sketch an outline of him standing on the outside corner of the page. His hands were in his pockets and he was slightly leaning forward with one leg bend.

You continued to draw and gradually add more details, getting entirely into your zone. You were so focused, you almost had a heart attack when you noticed someone had walked up the driveway and stood next to you.   
" Ten what the hell!?” You complained, slamming your pencil down onto the paper. He laughed quietly in return.   
“Sorry.” You huffed and picked your pencil back up, going back to work knowing that he most likely just wanted to watch. He jumped up smoothly and sat on the table you were working on, watching you gradually add details. “Is this him again?”   
“Yeah.” You answered while continuing. 

“Have you ever drawn me before?” He asked. You stopped for a moment and looked up at him, thinking about it.   
" I, don't think I have actually.”  
“Ah man, that’s messed up.”   
“I’ll add you to this.” You looked down at the paper and thought about what Taeyong was wearing before looking back up at him. You tilted your head and scanned his body. Admiring what he was wearing. “That’s weird.” You whispered.  
“What is?”  
“You’re wearing the same thing he was wearing in my dream last night but in black. He was in white.” You looked back down at your paper before sighing. “Well, guess the universe intended for you to be in this painting as well.” you concluded before drawing him on the other side, sitting down.

You continued the process of outlining all over again, looking up at him occasionally to get his details right. Drawing him didn't come as easily to you, you found yourself erasing a lot. “God, you’re difficult.” You complained.  
“I can't be that much harder to draw.”   
“You’d be surprised.” You continued to attempt at getting his proportions and facial details correct, eventually putting the pencil down.

“I’ll fix it later.” You scooted away from the desk and looked up at your boyfriend. “What’s new?” You asked him.  
“Well, I actually have a question.”  
" Shoot.”  
“Could I meet Taeyong? Formally?”  
“Oh,”  
" That isn't an issue, right?”  
“No,” you shook your head. “Shouldn't be, anyway. Do you want me to call him now? I mean, outside what I tell him he doesn't do much. I'm sure if I told him to come over he would.”   
“Sure.” Ten agreed with a nod.

You went inside to get your phone, you hadn't taken it with you to avoid distractions. Once you got back out into the garage, you called Taeyong and asked him if he would come over. When he agreed, you told him that you would be in the garage. He said he would be right over, and he was. About 5 minutes later, he began walking up your driveway.

“Taeyong, glad you could come!” You greeted, walking towards him and meeting him in the middle of the garage. 

“I’m always willing to come see you.” Taeyong said with a smile. Ten hopped off of his place on the table and leaned on it rather than sitting fully on it. Taeyong looked at him. The smile on his face slowly shifted to a look of, almost disapproval. “Am I in...some kind of trouble?” He asked you, looking back towards you.

“Oh, no none. We just, thought you two should meet.” You explained, walking Taeyong over to Ten.

Ten introduced himself and shook hands with the other, speaking a bit. You watched their exchange happily, but your mind started wondering. Where exactly were they standing again? Specifically Taeyong? Oh, right. In the same area that gave away your biggest secret just with a glance in the wrong direction.

You gasped softly through your nose and looked over at your sketchbook. It was still opened to the new drawing. You quickly reached over and shut it, attracting both of their attention. Taeyong squinted at you, a bit confused. But you looked at Ten, and you could tell he had the same realization as you in that moment. “Why don't we go inside.” You invited casually. “It’s a bit, hot out here. And my eyes are tired from the sun.”

“I agree, let's head inside.” Ten played along with your excuse. Both of you in a hurry to get Taeyong out of your garage, the one place you knew he should never be in. 

Once Ten lead him inside, you shut the door and took a deep breath, you really needed to be more careful than that. You let the door leading to your garage space fall shut behind you as you walked into your living space. Ten and Taeyong were already on the couch. You didn't really want to interrupt them, they were talking about something.

“Really, I’m not suspicious of you or anything.” Ten started. “She just wanted you to know that.”

“I was hoping that was the case.”

“I'm not super possessive of her, she can talk to other guys, doesn't bother me at all.”

The urge to make Taeyong say something stupid, or provocative to poke some fun at this situation was overwhelming. You so badly wanted to bring out his competitive side. You were thinking about it, how funny would be.

“I’m not just any other guy though, hope you know that.”

 

_ ‘Shit…’ _ you pressed your lips together firmly and shut your eyes. You need to learn that just  _ thinking  _ something in these situations is what  _ causes  _ them to happen. You opened your eyes and looked at them, Ten looked at you with his eyes for a moment and flicked them back down at Taeyong, a playful look pulling at his lips. You knew you were in for it. Ten always knew when to play along. This would certainly be interesting.

“Really now?” 

“I would say so.”

“Are you saying that you shouldn't be allowed her so easily? That you might be some kind of competition for me?”

“If that’s how you want to see it—” quick, what to do in this situation trait wise, what should his comeback be? Should it be gentle or harsh and quick? “—I would say I’m pretty good looking myself. A worthy opponent definitely.”

“ _ Definitely.” _

 

And that was how you made Taeyong confident. Ten laughed a bit, meeting your eyes again. He knew you were making him act like this. “Are you saying that I should see you as competition?”

“If that's how you want to see it, go ahead. I would certainly agree.”

“Let’s let her decide if you’re any threat to me.” Ten suggested before calling you over. You were gonna kill him after this. He was having way too much fun.

 

“Is Taeyong my competition?” You heard Taeyong laugh as you sat across from them on your coffee table. 

“He’s attractive I’ll give him that.” You admitted before playfully putting your hand on Ten’s knee as a way to give him fake comfort. “I don't think you have to worry though. Not  _ too _ much anyway.” you said with a smile.

 

The three of you continued to talk as if you had known each other forever. Well, you had known them for a while in some way or another. But you were surprised to see how well you were getting along. Then again, it was more a less a two way conversation between Ten and you with a bit of a twist. But you could tell Taeyong was becoming his own person more so. He was behaving differently than he had when you first met. He was better socially, his conversations weren't awkward. He seemed to be able to do more on his own as well, you were beginning to think that maybe as you gave him more traits, he became more independent. At one point, you wondered if he would become a constant, a real person rather than someone that only existed around you. You really hoped that he did, he deserved a life and total freewill, you wanted him to have that.

 


	7. 7. The Date

_ You felt warm as you gazed into the fire. Aware of where you were and able to feel and control yourself again. Taeyong put the match box in his pocket and sat down next to you. “What were you doing out in the rain?” He asked, turning towards you. _

_ “It just, came out of nowhere.” you explained, even if you weren't sure when it started or why you were in it. Just a part of your dream. _

_ “Yeah, it did. It was nice outside today too but then the clouds just rolled in and...well you know what happened.”  _

_ “Yeah.” You said with a small laugh. You moved the towel that was on your shoulders around a bit before taking it off of you and starting to dry out your hair with the cloth.  _

 

_ “Do you mind if I take my shoes off? My socks are soaked.” You asked, he nodded. _

_ “Make yourself comfortable.” He allowed, and you did just that. You slid off your tennis shoes and sock, laying them out in front of the fire for them to dry.  _

 

_ You sighed once they were off, putting the towel back across your shoulders. “Sorry if I’m intruding-” _

_ “No, you’re fine. I was getting bored anyway. I like your company.” You smiled at him, almost admiring him. It seemed that every time you saw him in a dream, you admired something different about him. Last night it was the clothes and how good he looked, this time it was his voice. _

 

_ His voice was unique. It had a very rough and almost sexy sound to it. It was a bit soothing though. You loved it. You couldn't imagine any voice fitting him better. You looked over at him as he gazed into the fire. He had his legs out in front of him and he was leaning back on his hands, his head leaned back slightly. “Taeyong.” You called, he turned to look at you from where he was. He stopped for a minute. He looked almost scary the way the light from the fire was hitting his face.  _

_ “What?” He asked, you didn't realize how long you had froze for.  _

 

_ “Do you sing?” _

_ “A little bit.” _

_ “Could I hear.” You were going to let this be raw. You weren't going to control him at all. He was becoming a bit more independent so you wouldn't have to anyway. Taeyong chuckled and looked down. _

_ “It’s embarrassing.” _

_ “Oh come on, I know how confident you are in yourself.” _

_ “Yeah but…” he drifted off, lacking an argument. He sighed, not saying another word before singing a small tune. You did nothing but listen. Just like you suspected, his voice was raspy and deep. You loved it. You couldn't help but smile.  _

 

_ “You didn’t have to be so shy, that was good!” You applauded, pushing his shoulder lightly.  _

_ “I actually like rapping more.” _

_ “Do you do music on your spare time?” _

_ “Sometimes.” _

_ “That's really cool. Guess we’re both artists in a way.” _

_ “Guess so.” _

 

Your eyes slowly opened from your slumber. Unlike yesterday, you woke up peacefully. You felt warm too, and comfortable. You were almost sad that you were awake, you wanted to go back to your dream, back to Taeyong. You tried falling back asleep, but that never worked. You just couldn't see the dream again. You gave up and sat up out of bed, your warm feeling depleting from you as you got up. 

 

You had to work an early shift for work today which you hated. It was always so busy, you didn't get to have your creative freedom with your coffee art because you were too rushed. You mindlessly readied yourself and got into your car, driving to the popular coffee shop and going inside, taking your spot in the back. The morning crew was bigger, more people worked it. There was still only one cashier but four people worked in the kitchen.

 

Your hopeful feeling for the day fleeted immediately when you saw your manager in the kitchen. It was that manager that no one liked, she was in today. Casey was actually a manager as well, but she didn't like to be treated as superior and wanted to be friends with everyone she worked with. Whenever she had the same shift as somebody, everyone was always so relieved to see her face. But Katharine, your manager today, no one liked her. You were sure she knew that too. She didn't really go to _ work _ , she just went to shadow people and point out their flaws. She definitely abused her power.

 

You gave her a fake smile as you walked past her. She just nodded at you in response. You sighed as you grabbed your apron from the wall and tied it around you. All the other employees showed up around the same time so everyone was doing the same as you and preparing. “It’s seven, we’re open!” You heard Katherine say. You looked back at her and she was looking down at her watch. “Aren't we?” She asked, peeking her head through the archway. It was aimed at your cashier, she had the keys to the front. You looked back at her, she looked infinitely annoyed. The look on her face just screamed  _ ‘why don't you do it?’  _

 

She took the keys from a drawer under the register and unlocked the door. There had been two people waiting outside and she went back immediately to take their orders, which you then began making.

 

Your mind began to wonder as you put simple hearts into the coffee, you and Ten had a date later today. You started talking about it after Taeyong left yesterday, talking about how you two don't go out much. He was going to take you out to dinner tonight at a nice restaurant. You were looking forward to it, but for some reason, the idea just didn't strike you the way it use to. You use to be so giddy to go out for a night with Ten, it was always so exciting when you first started dating. That was different now, even though there had been a gap between this and the last date. You just weren't head over heels for him anymore. 

 

You were brought back down from your thoughts by the sound of your name being called. It was your coworker as he put a cup down at your station. “You okay?” he asked. There were three cups at your station, guess you had zoned out and started working slow. 

“Sorry!” You apologized, quickly filling the extra cups and handing them off to your coworker that was waiting to deliver them. “Sorry, I zoned out a bit.”

“It’s fine, we all do it.” He accepted as he put a bit of coffee into a cup and you finished It off by putting the cream design in. 

 

There was a bit of a pause in business for a moment, the rush was dying down. In that little moment of peace, you heard Katherine call your name. You turned to face her, hoping she wasn't going to rip you one because of that little zone out you had. “Can I talk to you in the break room please?” She said before walking towards the small room. You knew you didn't have a choice, so you just followed. “Do you have any idea as to why I want to talk to you?” She asked once you were in the small room.

“For no  _ bad _ reason, I hope.” She nodded.

“No, nothing bad. Quite opposite actually.” you squinted at her. What was she getting at?

 

“Here's the thing, I've decided to move away from here, closer to my family and I have to quit to do that. Since I’m a manager and need someone to fill my spot, me and the owners decided that you should take my spot.”

“I’ll take it.” You agreed without any hesitation. It was a pay raise, and one that you needed.

“I was hoping you would say that.”

“Yes, thank you.” You smiled and she smiled back, you had never seen her do that before.

 

She dismissed you after telling you how your work hours would be affected and the amount of money you would be making and you headed back to the kitchen, continuing your work. Now, the only thing in your mind was how happy you were about this. It felt nice to be chosen out of all the workers here. Katharine almost seemed a bit more likable now.

 

***

 

You felt pretty, and you didn't feel that often. There weren't very many days, especially in college, where you got up and just decided to look nice so when you did dress up, it was refreshing. You put on a knee length, dark magenta dress with a high neck that flared at the waist. Nothing too dressy, it was something any girl could wear on a casual day. But you wore it with short black heels and pulled your hair to the side to dress it up a bit. You looked at yourself in the bathroom mirror before you heard the doorbell ring.

 

You hurried and grabbed your bag that had you phone and your sketchbook with some pencils, just in case an idea struck you. Ten smiled at you when you opened the door. “Are you ready?” He asked after you opened the door.

“Of course.” You said with a smile, following him out and sitting in the passenger side of his car as he drove to the restaurant. Once you got there, you were seated and given your menus by the hostess and busboy in good time. Both of you were glad to see that it wasn't too crowded there tonight. 

 

“What are you gonna get?” Ten asked you.

“Probably something simple. Steak sounds good.” 

“You’re right it does.” Both of you had your faces buried in your menus, though you already knew what you wanted you just didn't want to put it down. Your mind was wondering again, but this time about Taeyong and what he was doing now. You had been wondering about what he was doing when you weren't focused on him. Did he do anything? Have a life and a job? You were curious. You were going to ask him about that next time you saw him. As you thought about it, you were brought back to reality again by a familiar voice.

 

“Hey swan lady, are you ready to order?” 

 

A raspy voice asked. You nearly dropped your menu. Both you and Ten looked at each other before the man you recognized as Taeyong, or your waiter for tonight apparently. You  _ really  _ needed to stop thinking about him at random times. 

 

“Oh my God.” Ten whispered.

“You didn't tell me you were a waiter?”

“You never asked.”

“I-” you were lost for words, you just sighed.

“I didn't ruin this for you, did I?” 

“No.” both you and Ten confirmed.

“It’s fine, we just weren't expecting it.” You confirmed with a smile. Ten nodded in agreement. You could tell that it was sort of bugging him, though. You knew him well enough to tell when he was bothered, or in this case, he seemed almost mad.

 

“How about those orders then?” Taeyong asked, changing the subject back. 

“Of course.” Both you and Ten ordered what you wanted along with your drinks and watched Taeyong scurry off back into the kitchen. Once he was away, Ten said your name sternly. You knew he was bothered by this.

 

“Explain.” He demanded simply.

“I...I don't know. Like I said sometimes it just happens, I don't realize it.”

“So you're just thinking about him all the time?”

“Well wouldn't you? He’s not exactly normal.”

“Yes but I’m more focused on my  _ date _ than my imaginary friend.” You really couldn't believe him. He normally wasn't like this, what changed? You furrowed your eyebrows at him, hoping to show a bit of your anger with him.

 

“Are you gonna take that back?”

“No. Not unless you can undo that.” 

“Do you even hear yourself? Ten, you  _ know  _ I can't do that.”

“Did you ever try?”

“No and I'm not going to, because I like the person he is. Why are you acting like this now? When this first came up you were all fine and dandy with it. What changed?”

“What  _ changed  _ is the fact that  _ you  _ can control him and he’s challenging me! It didn't bother me till I thought about it. If you’re controlling him, then  _ why  _ is he acting like some sort of match for me?”

 

You went quiet and swallowed, looking away from him. “Am I getting boring to you? Do you not like me anymore?” 

“No, Ten…”

“Just, tell me.” You looked back at him, and took a deep breath. 

“I told you it happens without me noticing. I guess, my body and mind don't agree. I still love you but, maybe I am getting bored. I feel like I didn't notice this happening because I didn't know I wanted it, but I did. I do.”

“...And what am I supposed to do about it?”

 

Was there anything he could do? 

 

“I don't know…” you admitted, looking away. The two of you went quiet. 

“If you’re bored of me then, why stick around?”

“I just told you, I still love you. I don't want to leave you.” Ten looked down and nodded. Neither of you said anything, then you started thinking again. You wished you’d stop doing that, but you couldn't help it. You thought back to your dream and the fire, how good you felt in the morning. You wanted that again. 

 

Taeyong came to your table with your food and refills of your drinks you had received earlier. You both said your thank you’s to him and he hurried off, then the two of you ate in silence. It was a bit awkward, but at least it wasn't silent for no reason. It was silent because neither of you had anything else to say on the matter, and you just let the subject hang in the air unsolved. 

 

“I got promoted today.” You informed, wanting to break the silence. “The manager quit her job and they asked me to fill her spot.”

“That's good.” He said before taking another bite of his food. “Does this mean you won’t rely on my money any more?” You put your fork down loud enough for him to hear. Why was he being such a jerk? 

“To be fair, I never  _ relied  _ on your money. You just willingly gave me some when I needed it for necessity.” It didn’t make sense to you why he had to make that comment. He was normally so sweet, you had never seen him act like this. He looked down and away from you, like he didn’t want to look at you for some reason unknown to you.

 

“Excuse me, please.” He asked before standing up and walking past you. You watched him as he walked by, you didn't know where he was going but you didn't care. You looked back forward and placed your elbows on the table, resting your face in your hands. You had expected this date to go so well. 

 

“Doesn't he know it’s rude to leave a lady alone?” A raspy voice said next to you. You looked up slowly, seeing Taeyong at your table.

“I'm sure he does.” You affirmed. Taeyong sat across from you, taking Ten’s spot. You smiled, thinking back to your dream, that warm feeling taking you again. 

“What happened? If you don't mind telling me.”

“Things just aren't the same between us.” You answered, you wanted to say more but you couldn't. It would give away too much.

“I hope you can work it out.”

“I do too…” you looked away from him. You had a feeling Ten would be back any second.

 

“You know _(y/n)_, you clean up nice. You look beautiful. Has he told you that tonight?” You looked at him again and thought I'd you had heard him say that to you. You looked away and shook your head, knowing that he hadn't. “He should have, because you are.” He complimented before standing up, you were tearing up, you didn't want him to leave. “If he doesn't come back in 5 minutes, I’ll float the bill.”

“Taeyong you don't have to.”

“I will though, I want to.” He insisted before walking off before you could get another word in.

 

You leaned back in your booth, wiping a single tear away before it even fell. You check the time on your phone, it was 5:55. When 6 o’clock rolled around, you would give up waiting, Taeyong wouldn't let you stay anyway, you knew he wouldn't. So you waited tapping your finger on the table and taking a few sips from your drink as you waited in a lonesome silence. Of course there was conversation and the sound of silverware around you, but it was like everything was on mute. 

 

You checked your phone again, it was 5:59. You sighed quietly in defeat as you watched the small screen, once the clock turned to 6, you put it away, and watched as Taeyong came from around the corner. “Don't try to change my mind. I can't let this be entirely sour for you.”

“Thank you but, I can't just leave. He drove me here.”

“Lucky for you, my shift is over at six.” You didn't say anything to him, just looked at him as he stacked the plates of remaining food on your table. “I’ll take these back and pay, just wait for me here.” You continued to watch him, not saying anything. He took the plates back and you just stared off into the direction where he left, not thinking, just waiting and zoning out. 

 

As he walked back to you, you stood up, taking your small bad and slinging it over your shoulder, walking towards him. He walked you out, saying bye to some of the other workers and leading you out to his black car. How he knew how to drive? You didn't know. But what you did know was that this side of him, you created in your dream and it carried into reality. The way he cared for you in your dream was the caring and comfort he was giving you now. The first time you had ever felt this from him was last night.

 

He unlocked the car and you got in the passenger side. “Ten is gonna kill me.” You said once he started his car. 

“ _ You?  _ No, he’s gonna kill me.” You laughed a bit.

“True.”

“Does he like me?” Taeyong asked, looking at you for a small moment before focusing back on the road. You shook your head.

 

“No.” You said plainly, you considered telling him why. Just the half truth of it, and it fell from your lips as the silence spread through the car. “He doesn't like you because he thinks I’m using you as a way to make him jealous. Me and Ten have been together for almost four years now. It’s just getting boring, and he knows it too. He thinks you’re my, boy toy or something. He thinks I'm talking to you because I'm looking for someone else.”

 

“Are you?” That question stabbed and clawed at you. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You knew the truth, you knew the answer, but you were afraid of the answer. You had never even admitted it to yourself, but maybe you could.

 

“Yes.” you finally admitted, convincing yourself that that was true.

“Are you gonna break up with him?”

“I don't want to, but, if he doesn't come around and apologize about what just happened, we will. He might do it before I can though. I think I’m more invested than he is.”

“I’m sorry.” He comforted, trying to make you feel better.

“It’s alright, it will be for the better.”

 

The two of you rode in silence the rest of the way to your house. It hadn't been too far of a drive, but when you got to your house, you hesitated upon getting out. You unbuckle your seatbelt and sat there for a moment, not wanting to leave yet.

 

“Thank you.” You looked over at Taeyong, he had one hand still on the steering wheel, the other on the console between the two seats. “For everything tonight. For paying, and driving me. Just, caring.” 

“I couldn't just leave you behind, I would have felt terrible.” You nodded at him. He leaned in towards you slightly, his hand gracefully dropping from the wheel and sliding towards you slowly. He rested his cold hand on the side of your face, gently sliding it down to the base of your neck. You knew what he wanted, and what normally would happen in a position like this. You placed your hand on top of his and looked at him with wide eyes. He leaned in slowly, but you closed your eyes and shied away. Avoided the contact, even if you wanted it. 

 

“Not yet.” You denied, opening your eyes and looking up at him. He nodded and swallowed, respecting your wishes and slowly pulling his hand away from your skin as he pulled back. You silently opened your door and slid out of your car. Walking up your driveway and unlocking the front door. You waved at him before walking inside and closing the door behind you. It would be a rough night filled with a lot of thought. You knew it would be.


	8. 8. For the better

_ “I'm kind of glad I got rained on.” You said as Taeyong poked at the fire a bit to keep it from dying out. “This is nice.” You giggled in content. _

_ “I agree.” Taeyong scooted back from the fire and sat next to you again. You were almost dry now. The towel that had been around your shoulders in the previous dream was replaced with a soft blanket. You rubbed your thumb across the warm material that was wrapped around your shoulders as you looked up at Taeyong. _

 

_ “Did you want to share this?” You asked, holding out an edge of the blanket. He just shrugged.  _

_ “Sure. If you don't mind.” _

_ “Of course not.” You assured, giving the blanket some slack before moving closer to him, shoulders almost touching. Taeyong took the edge of the blanket and wrapped it around him as well.  _

 

_ You thought you felt comfort the other night, but this was really what it felt like. You never wanted to leave this moment. The crackling of the fire, accompanied by he soft tapping of the rain and the warmth around you, it was like your own personal heaven, it was peaceful. _

 

_ The two of you didn't say much, but you didn't need to. It would almost ruin the perfect moment. Instead, you just rested your head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind at all. You stayed like that and closed your eyes, almost dozing off, even if you were already in a dream. But before you could, you felt Taeyong move a bit, and heard him whisper your name.  _

 

_ He placed his hand lightly under your chin, lifting your head from off his shoulder and looking at you, making direct eye contact that neither of you broke. Taeyong looked down at your lips then back into your eyes, communicating what he wanted. Both of you leaned in at the same time at a slow pace, not rushing anything. You closed your eyes and waited for the contact, and when it came, you didn't want it any other way. _

 

_ The kiss was chaste and sweet. It lasted for only a few seconds before Taeyong pulled away, but stayed close, looking at you. The hand under your chin slid into your damp hair and pulled you in again, a bit more passionately this time. As if the first kiss was just testing the waters, but now that he knew you wanted this as well, he wasn't as sweet and gentle.  _

 

_ You moved as close to him as you could get, pulling away for half of a second just to reposition yourself and part your lips. You moved your arm behind his back and your other hand to his thigh, keeping it in one spot but drawing various lines on the fabric of his pants as you continued to kiss.  _

 

_ It seemed to go on and on, never getting any more or less heated. You both pulled away after a few minutes and looked at each other, feeling each other’s heavy breaths on the other’s lips. Taeyong chuckled a bit, relaxing the soft grip he had on your hair and slid his hand down to the base of your neck. “I was wondering how long it would be before this happened.” He kissed you sweetly again, _

 

And your eyes fluttered open. Once you were aware that you were awake, you shot up, sitting up straight and running your fingers through your hair. You felt warm again, from the fire, but you felt warm internally too. There were butterflies in your stomach and you felt almost lonely, like someone was missing. You flopped back in bed, burying your face in your hands. You couldn't believe this, everything was happening so quickly. First with the run in with Ten and now this new flood of emotions that you didn't expect. You knew that your dreams mimicked your desires, so why had that just happened? Easy, because you fell in love with him last night.

 

But now what? Would you go back to Ten and try to fix things? Let him come to you? End things before they can get worse? You didn't know, and didn't know what to think about this. You had school today, just a few classes in the morning. You hoped it would be enough to distract you for a bit.

 

***

 

When you pulled back into your driveway from school, you saw a familiar person on your porch. You lingered in your car for moment. It was Ten. You didn't want to see him right now, you wanted to put this confrontation off until you weren't as fed up and ultimately confused. You were afraid that if you talked about this while you were still on edge you would say things you couldn't take back. You sighed before turning off the engine and stepping out of the car. You slowly walked up to him, not making eye contact until you were right in front of him.

 

“So?” He started. His arms were crossed and he obviously wasn't happy. If he came this far just to question you though, you wouldn't hesitate to rip him a new one. Even if you didn't want to.

“So what?” You retorted back, keeping a straight face.

“Why did you leave last night?”

“Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? What was I supposed to do, wait till they kicked me out?”

“I didn't leave you alone, you know I wouldn't do that I just went to think for a bit.”

“And why didn't you tell me that then?”

“Because I didn't think you would just leave like that!”

“You were gone for ten minutes! I wasn't gonna sit and wait there alone for someone I didn't want to see for the rest of the night anyway. You were being a total jerk last night and  _ that's  _ why I left! Because I wouldn't have been surprised if you had just left me there.” 

 

Ten looked away from you and took a breath, putting a fist to his lips in obvious defeat. “Look, I’m sorry for acting like that. But this really is an issue for me. I don't care what goes on in that dream realm of yours but in reality, I'm your boyfriend, you’re not supposed to be thinking about any other guys like that.”

“So now you're gonna be possessive because of it? What's next, a curfew?”

“God you’re so snappy—”

“Yeah you’re right.” Ten swallowed before continuing. 

 

“Look, I just don't want this to end badly for us. And I think the only way for that to happen is if things...change.” You looked at him, still with a straight face, waiting for him to explain himself. “I think we just need to talk about this.”

“Is that not what we’re doing?”

“Yes but, I mean, we need to compromise.”

“Ten, just say it like it is. What are you asking me to do.”

 

You knew what he was going to say, you knew what he wanted. He couldn't accept that new man in your life and that's what was going to break things for you too. “...get rid of Taeyong.”

You knew that was what he would say.

“No.” You said instantly, shaking your head. 

“Come on, _(y/n)_, do you want to fix this?” 

“Not if I have to sacrifice my friendships for this.”

“Then I don't know what to tell you! You’ll let a friendship get in the way of your serious relationship but you won’t let your boyfriend get in the way of your friendship.”

“He’s more than just a friend, Ten.”

“Yeah,now you admit it.” You both went silent, you looked away for a second and swallowed before looking back up. 

“Is there nothing else? Is that all you want to change?”

“That's the only problem, so yes.” You shook your head and closed your eyes, you wouldn't let Taeyong go. You didn't know if you could fully get rid of him or not, if you could, how to do it. You weren't just going to cut him out of your life either.

 

“Is this it then? Can we not keep this going if he’s around?” You felt tears coming on, but you blinked them away and looked at his face. He shook his head no.

“I can't. Maybe we can, try again later if things change. But, right now, I can't go on with you like this.” You nodded, and sighed looking away. 

“Okay.” You accepted, walking past him and unlocking your door.

“I'm sorry.” He apologised as you opened it and stepped inside.

“Yeah, I’m sure you are.” You snapped back become slamming the door shut and closing the blinds to the window beside the door.

 

You were more upset then you were mad. You understood why he had ended things, but it was still upsetting. You chose not to think about it too much. You just went into your room and flopped on your bed, curling up in a ball for a minute and closing your eyes. You really weren't going to think about the break up, it wasn't passing your mind, but someone else was.

 

The dynamic between yours and Taeyong’s relationship changed so quickly. You went into his car just as his friend but by the time you got home and he dropped you off, it was like you were already more than that. That's what was running through your mind. Or more specifically, the short moment you had before you left the car. 

 

You wished you had just gone for it, forgotten about Ten and how angry you were. Disregard how wrong it would have been and just let it happen. You should have just let him kiss you. You could imagine it, the way It felt in the dream but,  _ real.  _ You wanted it, you knew you did and you wouldn't deny it. You were almost happy that Ten had ended things now. Because now you could do what you wanted with Taeyong and not worry about getting caught. No more secrets, no more hiding, none of that. 

 

You smiled a bit to yourself and sat up. You turned and grabbed the diary off of your night stand. It had a few pages filled. You documented every dream you had, so you did just that and wrote down what had happened last night with the kiss and what it meant to you. You also added the ‘caring’ trait on the page containing his characteristics. 

 

Taking a breath, you closed the diary and put it down again. As you did, you felt a buzz in your back pocket. Taking your phone from your pocket, you clicked it on and typed in your pass code. You had a message from Taeyong. You hadn't opened a message so fast in a long time. 

 

_ ‘Is everything okay? Just wanted to check on you after last night.’ _

 

You couldn't stop the smile that pulled to your lips. Even if it was just a simple message, it meant a lot to you. You opened your keyboard to respond, typing a simple:  _ ‘I'm fine, thanks for asking.’  _ Before putting your phone down. You wanted to say more to him, to actually hold a conversation. Maybe you would a bit later. But later didn't come much later. As soon as you put your phone down, you picked it back up, opening the messages and looked at the contact for a moment. You tucked hair behind your ear before pressing the call option next to his name. You put the phone to your ear and waited for him to answer. “Hello?” He greeted, you practically gasped when you heard his voice. You had gotten so nervous for some unknown reason as you waited for him to answer your call.

 

“Hey, I just wanted to talk.”

“Everything is okay then?”

“Yes, for the most part anyway.”

“What’s up with the other part then?” You stayed quiet for a moment, sighing through your nose. 

“I’d rather talk about it in person.”

“I can definitely do that.” He assured without you even asking if he wanted to meet up. Though that was what you were going to ask next. 

“Do you want to then? We can meet up maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure. Do you want me to come over or what?” You thought about that offer for a moment, not sure that was what you wanted. You didn't want to be stuck at home with him again, or anyone’s house for that matter.

 

“No, let’s go do something.” You spoke into the phone. He went silent for a second.

“Like a date?”

“Sure. You can look at it that way.”

“But, won't…” he drifted off, you knew exactly what he was trying to say. He was asking about Ten.

“No.” You started, pausing for a moment. “Don't worry about him.”

“...okay.” He complied, not questioning too much. He knew that you would talk about it tomorrow. “Where do you want to go?”

“Well…” you thought for a moment, thinking about something that would be fun for the both of you. “Isn't the fair in town?” You asked. You were almost positive that it was.

 

“I think so. I'm down to do that.” 

“Then we should. What time?”

“How about noon?”

“Sounds good, I'll pick you up.”

“Okay.” You agreed, a sudden smile pulled at your lips and feeling of excitement filled you. The kind that you couldn't fight or keep back, you let out a little laugh, which the person over the phone returned in a low chuckle. “I'll see you then.”

“I look forward to it.” He assured before hanging up. 

 

You looked at your phone screen as the call dropped and laughed more. What started as a nightmare situation for most girls turned into something better for you. Breaking up with a boyfriend of three years was difficult for most, but when you’re ready to move on this quickly and willing to, it wasn't so bad. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find this story on my tumblr: exidtotheleft
> 
> I'll be more active on there


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